Midwest Motorcycle Chop Shop Busted

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – According to The Journal Gazette. Four people have been charged with corrupt business influence in connection with a motorcycle chop shop ring.

Richard L. Schlatter, 35; Richard Carl King, 36; Angela R. Martin, age unknown; and Jerrad W. Impton, 39, are accused of running a scheme to steal and then sell motorcycles at a local auto dealership.

The stolen motorcycles were stripped down and put back together using frames that had not been stolen and had valid VINs. Many of the motorcycles were then sold for a profit, a witness told police. During a routine traffic stop in August, police pulled over a motorcycle King was riding. It was found he had no registration for the bike, and police discovered the VIN did not match the motorcycle’s license plate, according to court documents. Martin, a Kasper Auto Sales employee, came in to claim the motorcycle from the impound lot and presented documentation that indicated the bike was being repossessed by Kasper Auto Sales. The documents presented by Martin contained the same VIN as the motorcycle. However, further investigation found the VIN actually belonged on a motorcycle frame sold on eBay, according to court records cited in the Journal Gazette. That led to searches of five homes and a business, which ultimately turned up stolen items linked to a rash of motorcycle thefts over the summer. A search of the Impton residence turned up 16 motorcycles, including one inside his kitchen. Several of the bikes discovered at the Impton house matched the makes and models of bikes stolen in Allen County(Indiana) between April 5th and July 29th of this year, according to court documents.The owner of the car dealership, Todd Vonderau, who happens to lives next door to Impton has denied being involved in the thefts, according to court documents. He has not been charged. As of Thursday evening, there was a warrant out for Martin’s arrest. In an updated article, 2 more arrsted –

As we all know, if somebody wants your posessions bad enough, they will not let much stand in their way. That doesn’t mean you should hand someone the keys and let them get away. K and G Cycles (www.kandgcycles.com) has many different security items available to make sure no one but you enjoy your bike. We carry Disc/Rotor Locks, Chain Locks, Cable Locks, Alarms, and more. If it needs to be secured, we have a locking system available for you and your piece of mind. Below are a few blog entries highlighting a few of these products as well as a link to our Motorcycle Locks and Security section.

Stop Thieves with Brukus – This blog features products from Brukus designed to keep your detachable motorcycle parts secure and your bike off its side.

We protect our home and cars, so why wouldn’t you want to keep your motorcycle safe and secure? You bought it with your money, you shouldn’t give it away. Contact the K and G Cycles Team(www.kandgcycles.com) to help you lock down your ride and keep it out the hands of thieves.